Still, legibility is where the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Large Date And Moon Phases falls a bit short of scoring maximum points but, interestingly, the source of the problem is not the stunning sapphire dial, but the hands. Both the hour and minute hands are faceted, which means that they have a fine but visible edge running through their entire length. This implies high quality hands and indeed, they clearly are not anything like the cheaper stamped ones that have been working their way up the price segments and into some luxury watches of late.

The problem is that both facets are brushed and, as captured in the image above, light often can fall on one or both in a way that they don’t reflect much light back, allowing the hand to blend into the background – and again, the backdrop could be a black or grey solid dial and the issue would remain, so it is not the sapphire dial’s fault. The solution would have been to polish one and brush the other facet of the hand, so under all circumstances at least one side of the hand would reflect light. As they are now, however, I frequently found myself looking for the hour or minute hand and not being able to determine their position until I spent quite a bit of time moving the watch around. With this issue under some lighting situations aside, legibility really is as good as it can be on a watch with a transparent dial, thanks to the properly sized hands and applied indices.

Nothing, it could be said, is wrong about the movement, though: the base GP 3300 is a high-end workhorse caliber and that shows. All engravings and decorations are of high quality as far as more run-of-the-mill calibers are concerned. All surfaces have been extensively covered with perlage and Geneva stripes, while all logos and text show up in gold. This particular movement is the GP03300-0105 and beyond the hours, minutes, and small running seconds, it offers phase of the moon and a large “digital date” indications.

Here’s one more thing you don’t hear every day: the case back looks amazing. The middle section of the case back is curved lengthwise and sidewise, and two smaller curves have also been added on each side of it to make the profile of the case visually smaller. Not even this elongated curve helps with the operation of the small crown, however: even with the watch off the wrist, it is rather tedious to grab ahold of and manipulate the small crown, which I wish was but a bit larger and easier to hold.

The overall appearance of the back is as impressive as that of the front – I am glad the crystal on the back has not been colored blue but is crystal clear. (See what I did there?) A limited amount of text, a perfectly circular window in the center, and large, high-polished surfaces make the case back a fitting frame for the automatic caliber.

In conclusion, the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Large Date And Moon Phases holds many little secrets: at first, it may look like yet another, albeit instantly engaging, take on the retro-revival. Upon closer inspection (and some time with it on the wrist), however, it reveals its excellent wearability and beautiful aesthetic attributes. The dial plays in vibrant blue to darker grey colors depending on the light, the case looks and feels fantastic, even if it is a bit challenging to match with more casual outfits, and the movement works silently throughout its 46 hours of claimed power reserve. Legibility could be improved by a bit more work on the hands, but the comfort and looks of this some 70-year-old design are enough to make up for that shortcoming. Price for the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Large Date And Moon Phases watch (Reference 25882-11-421-BB4A ) in steel with the sapphire dial is $16,000. girard-perregaux.com

Necessary Data
>Brand: Girard-Perregaux
>Model: Vintage 1945 Large Date And Moon Phases
>Price: $16,000
>Size: 36mm
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Guy who loves vintage dress watches and is happy to wear a modern take on a classic.
>Best characteristic of watch: Terrific and comfortable to wear while having a timelessly beautiful design, highlighted by a cool and nicely detailed sapphire dial.
>Worst characteristic of watch:  Finishing on hands causes legibility issues under some circumstances.